The climate questionnaire

TEMPERATURE TRENDS

1 Do you believe that the global average surface temperature has risen over the last 50 years?

2 If yes, do you agree with the IPCC's range for that rise of between 0.10 and 0.16 Celsius per decade - alternatively, what figure or range of figures do you believe to be correct?

3 If you do not believe that the global average surface temperature has risen over the last 50 years, what is your explanation for increasing temperatures recorded by ground-based instruments over that period?

4 Do you agree that the oceans have warmed to depths of several kilometres over the last 50 years?

GREENHOUSE GAS TRENDS

5 Do you believe that atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and other greenhouse gases have increased over the last century or so?

6 If so, do you agree that the rises are principally due to anthropogenic factors?

7 For carbon dioxide, do you accept the broad figure of 280ppm in the post-glacial but pre-industrial era, and the current figure of about 380ppm?

GREENHOUSE GAS IMPACTS

8 Do you agree with the principle that rising concentrations of greenhouse gases will increase radiative forcing?

9 Do you agree that the relationship between CO2 concentrations and radiative forcing, given current levels, is logarithmic?

10 If you answered 'Yes' to question 1, do you believe that rising greenhouse gas concentrations are the most important factor behind the observed increases in the global average temperature? If not, what would you say is/are the principal factor(s) behind the observed rise?

11 If you answered 'No' to question 1 but 'Yes' to questions 5 and 8, what is your explanation for why rising greenhouse gas concentrations, associated with higher radiative forcing, have not resulted in a rise in the global average temperature?

12 What value, or range of values, would you estimate for climate sensitivity?

NATURAL VARIATION

13 What would you say is the maximum amount by which the global average annual surface temperature can vary over the course of a century due to natural variability?

MITIGATION

14 Do you believe that if concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases rise significantly higher than they are now, there is a chance of dangerous climatic change resulting?

15 If you answered 'No' to the previous question but 'Yes' to question 8, could you explain why you do not feel rising concentrations might prove dangerous?

16 Do you think it would be wise for the global community to set a maximum limit for atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, or of carbon dioxide equivalent? If so, what limit would you recommend?

17 If anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions increase broadly in line with "business as usual" projections over the next 20 years or so, which of the following statements would most closely reflect your opinion of the likely impact of emissions over that period:

• they will not have any deleterious impacts on human societies or the natural world
• they will have some impacts on human societies and the natural world, but nothing that cannot be dealt with quite easily
• they will have major impacts on some human societies and some aspects of the natural world

• it was a worthwhile attempt to tackle an issue of global significance
• it was the wrong approach to tackling an issue of global significance
• it was meaningless, because there is no reason for attempting to curb greenhouse gas emissions at present

CLIMATE MODELS

19 Do you believe that computer models, when used in conjunction with observational data, can in principle make meaningful projections of future temperature and climate trends at global and regional scales?

20 If so, would you say current models are, on the whole:

• very accurate and useful
• quite accurate and useful
• not very accurate or useful
• completely useless

22 If you answered 'No' to question 19, what approach would you prefer to computer modelling as a way of forecasting future climate?

YOUR BACKGROUND

23 Which element(s) of your academic background is/are relevant to climate change?

24 Could you please supply a list of scientific publications (not exhaustive), or a weblink to such a list, which demonstrates your expertise in the climate field?

25 Have you ever received funding from a company involved in fossil fuel production or use, or from an institution which receives such funds? If so, please give details.